1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch control structure, and in particular to a foot switch having a security mechanism.
2. Description of Prior Art
In a medical instrument such as a sickbed or a clinic chair, its height or inclination angle often needs to be adjusted to fit the build or demands of a user, so that a patient lying or sitting thereon can feel more comfortable. Since a doctor often performs a medical treatment by his/her both hands, a foot-operated switch (referred to as a “foot switch” hereinafter) is usually provided, whereby the doctor can perform the medical treatment while adjust the height and inclination angle of the sickbed or clinic chair in a convenient and controlled manner.
The conventional foot switch includes a switch box and a pedal. The interior of the switch box is provided with a switch. The pedal has a recovering plate which can recover to its original state automatically. When the pedal is stepped on, the recovering plate presses the switch in the switch box via a pushing rod, thereby transmitting a driving signal. By stepping on the foot switch, the driving signal can be transmitted to the sickbed or the clinic chair to thereby control the height and inclination angle of the sickbed or the clinic chair.
However, in practice, the above conventional foot switch has a big risk that it lacks a security mechanism. More specifically, when a doctor, a nurse or an operator is busy or absentminded and neglects the current position of the foot switch, he/she may step on the foot switch carelessly while his/her hands are still working, which may cause an accident. Even, the life of the patient or the operator may be thus threatened.
In view of the above, the present Inventor aims to solve the above problems based on his expert knowledge and deliberate researches.